Chivas USA keeps slim playoff hopes alive with 1-0 win over D.C. United
The prospect of spending a Sunday evening watching the two worst teams in Major League Soccer was not an enticing one.
As luck would have it, though, the fans who showed up at the Home Depot Center — including U.S. national team Coach Bob Bradley and assistants Zak Abdel and Jesse Marsch — were in for a surprise.
Playing in a much brighter and livelier manner than the Galaxy had in a 2-0 loss to Kansas City the night before, Chivas USA edged D.C. United, 1-0, on a first-half goal by forward Justin Braun.
The goal was Braun’s team-high eighth of the year.
Goals might have been difficult to come by, but there were scoring chances aplenty in an interesting — and sometimes even entertaining — game.
Coach Martin Vasquez’s team improved its record to 6-11-4 and kept alive its very faint playoff hopes. Those hopes have vanished for four-time MLS champion D.C. United, which fell to 4-15-3 and is all but guaranteed its worst season ever.
Chivas USA moved the ball around well, with midfielders Paulo Nagamura and Rodolfo Espinoza particularly impressive and central defender Michael Umana doing a solid job in front of goalkeeper Zach Thornton.
Braun gave the home team the lead in the 13th minute, and the 23-year-old from Salt Lake City could have had a hat trick before the first half ended had it not been for a sharp save by United goalkeeper Troy Perkins and a glaring miss by Braun himself.
For its part, D.C. United twice managed to come within inches of scoring — first when midfielder Santino Quaranta sent a shot off the crossbar just before halftime and later when Jaime Moreno’s header off a corner kick was headed off the goal line by alert Chivas defender Mariano Trujillo.
As it was, Braun’s early header was the only time the ball crossed the line. The goal came off a heads-up play by Chivas left back Ante Jazic, who spotted Braun making the run and delivered a perfect cross to him from the left flank.
Braun got inside defender Dejan Jakovic, and his looping header from about 16 yards sailed over Perkins and dropped just beneath the crossbar and into the net.
Braun could have made it 2-0 in the 36th minute when he found himself one on one against Perkins in the penalty area after some good passing and build-up play by Chivas, but Perkins smothered the ball at Braun’s feet and the chance was gone.
A few minutes later, Braun had another chance after stealing the ball but hurried his shot and sent it high and wide.
The second half belonged to D.C. United, which outshot Chivas, 13-9, including 4-3 in shots on target, but the defense held firm and Chivas picked up the much-needed three points.
grahame.jones@latimes.com
